Shadow
by Gothic984
Summary: Christie's behaviour becomes more intrusive, while Gail begins to act out of character and Lucas is targeted.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories and follows on from Busybody.

It was a pleasant Spring morning in Trinity South Carolina and the flowers were in full bloom around the Town. A gentle breeze blew through the air, giving a welcome respite from the warm sun to the large crowd that had gathered in front of the Antique Store. The Store had not yet opened to the crowd and a low murmur came from the gossiping townspeople, in anticipation of the arrival of their beloved Sheriff.

Mark Pearce entered the dark Wicca Store to the left of the crowd, in search of his star Reporter. She had been unexpectedly absent from her professional position of late and he had heard whispers that she had shown an strong interest in this place. With the Sheriff missing in action, he was unable to confirm her location; therefore, he had decided to take a chance and trust to whispers.

He glanced around the quiet Store, unsure of what to make of the old fashioned decor and the thick air that seemed to get caught in his lungs. This place had an eerie feel to it and he did not want to be in here alone for longer than necessary; therefore, he approached what looked like an old sales desk and lifted his hand to press the small bell that rested on the surface.

'Well I'm no cashier so you certainly better not try calling me with that thing' Gail warned pleasantly and straightened her skirt, as she came out of a small room behind the desk before he had a chance to touch the bell.

Mark regarded her curiously, noting that her loose black off the shoulder jumper, short denim skirt and brown cowboy boots were not exactly work attire. 'There's close to 50 people gathered next door, is there a reason you're hidin' in here rather than coverin' the story?' he asked, unimpressed with her absence of late.

Gail forced a sweet smile for her Editor, as she came around the desk to his side and perched on it casually. 'You have at least 5 Reporters beneath me at your disposal, is there a reason why you're hounding me to cover a Store opening?' she asked calmly and hid her irritation at his interruption.

Mark let out a small laugh and shook his head. 'The public loves you and want to read your stories Gail. When I convinced my bosses that you were worth the high rate they would have to pay for you, I didn't think you'd shy away from the limelight...You know I was close to your father and he wouldn't be impressed with you shirkin' your responsibilities like this' he lectured, choosing to try a different tactic rather than his usual accepting nature.

'This is a conflict of interest, Abe's my family and I'm still covering the whole Goat Town project. The public are still loving their updates on that and if there's ever any real news worthy of my attention, I'll be straight on it' Gail stated calmly, ignoring the low blow of him bringing up her father. 'Besides, Christie and M are competing over this article, I'm sure you don't need me add to the running'

'It wouldn't be a competition if you showed some interest in anythin' other than your pet project here' Mark advised flatly, knowing she was more than capable of beating any competitors if she put her mind to it.

Gail smiled warmly at Mark, she did appreciate the faith that he had in her and she knew he had vouched for her when she came to the Trinity Guardian. She had no intention of letting him down, there was just nothing worthy of her attention at the moment. 'Look, I've not abandoned you and I'm still covering the Dylan trial, I'm still covering Goat Town and I'm still doing that pointless lifetime column for you. What other pointless tasks do you expect me lower my standards to?' she asked and placed a reassuring hand on his arm, to indicate she was still on his side.

Mark let out a long sigh and nodded to show that he trusted her. 'What the hell am I supposed to do with Christie and M? They're bickerin' like a bunch of children would over the last piece of candy and I get enough of that at home'

Gail was mentoring Merlyn and had advised her to get into any possible story she could, regardless of how unimportant it appeared. The girl needed the experience and she felt it would increase her confidence if she got used to challenging someone like Christie, who Gail knew was trying to establish a name for herself while she was staying in Trinity.

It amused Gail to learn that Merlyn was actually listening to her and attempting to better herself. It was about time she took control of her life with the second chance she had been given and it made her proud of her cousin. 'Give Christie this one, it'll give her something to do' Gail shrugged, uninterested in furthering this conversation as she was aware of how much of her time he had already taken.

'And M? You think your apprentice should sit around your office doin' nothin'?' Mark asked judgmentally.

'Who do you think's going to cover the upcoming Mayor election?' she asked cunningly and started ushering Mark to the door.

'Gail, everyone's been houndin' me for that story but I've shot 'em down assumin' you'd be on it' Mark stated and felt panic begin to set in at his potential misplaced trust.

Gail rolled her eyes at his overreaction and let out a long sigh. 'I can't rightly take the story with my husband publicly backing a candidate, not to mention the common knowledge of me backing the other guy'

'Well you need to 'cause you're the best I've got' Mark ordered bluntly, not caring about how she took his order.

Gail regarded him amused at his attempt to be dominating and pushed him gently out of the door 'It'd be unethical for me to do it in case I subconsciously swayed the votes of our readers Mark. Who do you think will be coaching M anyway? Stop worrying and go enjoy the weather, the girl's more than competent enough for this so just trust me' she advised, then closed and locked the door before he had a chance to respond.

Gail let out a long sigh when the room became silent and ran her fingers through her hair in exasperation, then headed back towards the room she had come from. She had not expected the interruption and it had caused her mind to become scattered.

'Well handled' Lucas smiled proudly when she finally re-entered the room and returned to him, then pulled her close and lifted her up against the wall. 'Now, where were we?' he asked seductively, as he gripped her behind tight and pushed his body against hers.

Gail wrapped her legs around his hips and leaned back on the wall as he had pressed against her. 'Well, you'd just removed my thong and I'd just removed your pants...It doesn't take a Rocket Scientist to figure out what comes next' she mocked, then let out a loud moan when he thrust his hard manhood inside of her and crushed her against the wall.

'You're lucky I'm fond of you, otherwise we'd be having words about how you regard me' Lucas feigned a scolding manner and reached a hand under her thin jumper, then squeezed her breast hard.

'If I wasn't so fond of you, we'd be having a stern word about your treatment of women' she mocked, then reached under his shirt and clawed at his back.

Lucas let out a satisfied laugh and took her hard. He also had been avoiding the crowd outside and decided it was about time they christened this Store, considering his love spent so much time here. 'I don't know what it is but being here is makin' my urges go wild, I've never felt so alive' he advised and bit into her neck when a volt of intense pleasure surged through him.

'You're invigorated by having sex in your mother's old office? That's got psychotherapy written all over it' Gail stated sarcastically and tangled her hands in his hair when he kissed her passionately.

Lucas felt their climax building and slowed his pace, he was not ready to give in to their full release just yet and he was enjoying her playful mood. 'You inserted yourself into the highest position you could within your fathers old place of work, then pounce on me in that large office of your at every opportunity you get. We don't think therapy is on the cards for you too?' he mocked.

'We're both damaged, that's why we work so well. Now shut up and finish this sweetheart' she ordered, then let out a small laugh when his movements sped up and he began pounding in and out of her.

'Gail?' Christie called from outside the Store and banged on the door abruptly.

Lucas tensed at the sound of her intruding voice and stared at Gail unimpressed.

'What are you looking at me for? Continue and ignore her' she ordered in disbelief, then let out a loud moan when he obeyed and pulled at his hair in ecstacy.

Lucas felt their release building inside of him and was ready to let go; however, the annoying interruption came again.

'Come on Gail, get out here and get this thing moving! Abe's not coming out and we've all got better things to do then wait around' Christie called, unimpressed at being ignored.

'Oh for fucks sake!' Gail cursed uncharacteristically and hit the wall behind her in frustration.

Lucas lost control at the unexpected words leaving her mouth, thrust in and out of her hard and exploded inside of her when their climax came. He drowned out Christie's continuous calls and held her head to his neck tenderly, then kissed her cheek softly. 'You need to let me deal with her Gail' he advised, sensing his loves irritation.

'We need to deal with your old friend for hiding on his own Store opening day, rather than focusing on my friend' she whispered in annoyance and signalled for Lucas to release her, so she could see what all the fuss was about.

* * *

Merlyn stood outside the office door and knocked on it gently. She understood why Abe would close himself off like this, due to the amount of people that had gather outside and she felt bad that he appeared forced into this situation.

'Stop taking on other peoples problems and focus on your work' Gail snapped abruptly, as she come in through the backdoor and read her thoughts.

'Meanin' what?' Merlyn asked defensively and regarded her cousin cautiously.

Gail waved off her innocent look and turned her attention to Abe, not wanting to have to deal with them both right now. 'What's going on? People are waiting' she asked calmly, trying to hide her irritation.

'He's an old man...' Merlyn started, attempting to defend Abe's actions.

'Who's just being stubborn because he has you as an audience' Gail interrupted sternly, 'Just go out front and let me deal with this'

Merlyn saw the frustration in her cousins eyes and knew better than to challenge her; therefore, she left them both alone and went to locate Caleb.

'I'm not comin' out Rosie' Abe called from inside the locked room and waited for her to leave.

Gail let out a long sigh and placed her hand on the locked door. 'You know I'm not leaving you like this Uncle and Lucas is here to take charge, all you need to do is go outside and smile. I promise it'll be over with quickly and you won't even have to say anything' she tried to reassure him.

'My heart can't cope this this, I ain't comin' out!' Abe called moodily.

Gail was about to respond when a large crash against the door caused her to jump back. She knew instantly that he had thrown the new mug she had gotten him and now it lay shattered on the other side of the door, she rolled her eyes at the childishness of the old man and ran her hand through her hair in exasperation.

'Problems?' Matt asked sarcastically, when he approached his best friend and placed a gentle hand on her arm.

'What do you want?' she asked abruptly and leaned closer to the door Abe was hiding behind, trying to listen to what he was doing.

Matt had spotted Merlyn storm out of here and had thought it best to see if he could assist, he had taken over from Abe's old Doctor and he had hoped that he could fix whatever this was.

Gail let out a loud laugh when she unintentionally read his thoughts and turned towards Matt, feeling her anger direct itself at him. 'You want to help? Get this child out of that room and drag him outside, before I really lose my temper' she snapped and stormed out of the Store, then froze when she saw the large crowd of people turn towards her expectantly.

Lucas smiled amused at his loves abrupt entrance to the party and reached for her arm, then pulled her towards him protectively. 'My ol' friend causin' you bother love?' he asked knowingly.

'He's going to cause me to kill someone' she stated irritated, then felt her anger subside when she saw Luke try to struggle free of his fathers arms to get to her and smiled lovingly at her son.

Lucas went to pass her their boy; however, she stepped away from him and stood next to Caleb. 'Are we contagious?' he asked confused and regarded her curiously.

Gail shook her head and placed her arm around Caleb's shoulder protectively. 'Oh I'm not getting dragged into the circus that you create, this is your rodeo. Good luck with Abe, I'd keep your son with you to help distract the old nuisance when he finally comes out' she suggested and led Caleb away from the large group of people, so they could watch from the outskirts of the crowd.

'I need to talk to you' Caleb whispered when they were finally out of earshot of his father.

Gail suddenly felt a strong pain in her stomach and tried to mask the feeling from her cousin. It was bad enough that Abe's constant dependency on her was starting to take it's toll, now that Caleb wanted to be closer to her recently she was having to use all of her energy to appease the boys. 'So talk' she said distracted and glanced towards the Store when she heard applause, then spotted Matt exit the Store with Abe by his side and let out a sigh of relief.

'Christie asked me about my momma earlier' Caleb advised, then stared down at his hands nervously when Gail shot him a cold look.

Gail sensed Caleb's discomfort and forced her demeanour to soften, then placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 'What did she want to know?' she asked curiously, not liking that her friend had dared talk to her cousin without her permission. If Lucas found out, it would be hard to convince him to stand down.

Caleb leaned into her warmth and regarded her honestly. 'I dunno what she wanted, she just asked what happened and how I liked my daddy' he shrugged.

'Gage?' Gail asked, feeling a wave of unease flow through her.

Caleb nodded and wrapped his arms around her, when he sensed her unease and noticed people were watching them. 'I didn't tell her nothin' and I didn't tell Lucas either' he advised and smiled when she hugged him back.

Gail felt the eyes on them and continued to hold him close, she had not been prepared for this right now and his smart instinct to not tell his father may have bought her some time to figure this out. 'Leave it with me, she won't bother you again' she reassured him.

'Will she bother you?' Caleb asked curiously, wanting to know what was going on.

'Not if she knows what's good for her' Gail reassured him, then signalled for him to remain quiet while Lucas stole the limelight.

* * *

Lucas watched as the remainder of the crowd exited Abe's Store and nodded his thanks for their custom. This spectacle had been necessary as part of his role in Trinity and he had taken control like he always did, ensuring that Abe did not have to entertain the crowd. All in all the grand reopening had been a success, now all he wanted to do was to escape the public eye for the remainder of the day and spend some time with his family.

'You held yourself in a good commanding manner, I guess the owner of the Store isn't important when Sheriff Lucas Buck is around to take the spotlight' Christie said sarcastically, not believing this man had outshone the actual reason everybody had gathered here.

Lucas shifted Luke to his right hip and regarded Christie with disdain. 'The owner of the Store is an ol' friend of mine and if you'd researched him properly, you'd know that I was doin' him a favour'

'Like you did when Caleb was born? I guess Gage Temple didn't need to be at the hospital when his son was born, not when you were there to take on his responsibilities' she bated and waited for his reaction.

Lucas' look remained unchanged; however, his anger flowed through him and his rage became strong. He stared at her for the moment, then regained his inner composure and closed the distance between them. 'You wanna tell me what you're accusin' me of?' he asked impatiently, feeling his twin clawing to be released.

'No accusation here soulmate, at least not unless my oldest friend wants to explain it to me first' Gail advised sweetly when she approached them after sensing the conversation, then shot Christie a challenging look.

Christie had thought that Gail was busy with Caleb and when she turned up unexpectedly, she froze. 'I was just...'

'Scolding my husband for wanting to assist an abused woman after she was abandoned by her husband whilst giving birth?' Gail asked unimpressed and stared at her judgmentally.

Christie began to stammer and was about to advise of her suspicions, when Caleb joined the group and smiled up at her warmly. She let out a long sigh as her interrogation had been spoiled, then waved off Gail's question and stormed towards her car annoyed.

'Care to tell me what you're gonna do about that love?' Lucas asked in a calm tone, so not to alert Caleb of his fury.

'Oh I'm doing nothing, you made your own bed with this. What you're going to do if you have any ounce of sense is arrange a long overdue date with your newest friend' she advised cunningly, then placed a soft kiss on his lips and led Caleb towards the Store to check in on Abe.

-To be continued-


	2. Chapter 2

Ben sat in the drivers seat of his police cruiser and steered the car towards the Town centre. He had been surprised when he received the instruction to pick up Lucas, especially after his boss' earlier insinuation that he would be gone for the day and the drive was starting to get uncomfortable.

Lucas ended the radio connection with Juniper House and sat back in the front passenger seat of the car. With Gail's Editor Mark raising concerns over her inactivity lately and Christie hovering around him incessantly, Gail had decided it was best for them both to return to their jobs rather than use their influence to allow them to spend the rest of the day with their family. Lucas had not been impressed by her decision; however, Abe's spectacle was over by 1pm and he supposed it was only fair that he return to work like everybody else.

Ben had collected him from Goat Town and Lucas had allowed him to take charge of their patrol, giving him the responsibility of their destination. Ben had been surprised that he had opted to join him on an uneventful patrol and Lucas was now feeling bored, causing his mind to focus on Christie.

That woman was becoming a nuisance, she did not possess enough intelligence to pose him a threat; however, her constant need to attempt to lull him into giving something up was beginning to be an inconvenience and he was frustrated that he was unable to do anything about it. His frustrations grew at the thought of Gail actually working, when she should be spending her time looking after their boys or taking care of their Mansion.

It was not that he wanted to suppress her independence, far from it. Lucas respected Gail's drive and determination, getting someone as virtuous and well versed in the outside world to commit to him was one of his biggest triumphs; however, he had worked hard to maintain the comfortable financial position he was in and he wanted her to share in that comfort, rather than working like any other mundane wife. He just wished that she would fully commit to her role with their family and her inability to do that was becoming a concern.

Lucas understood that she was different and he had to tailor his own behaviour to be what she required him to be. He was willing to sacrifice some of his urges to maintain their stable family life, hell he had even toned down his deals so not to cause her any personal or professional conflict; however, expecting him to do nothing while Christie poked her nose into his personal business was one step too far and he needed a release for his pent up frustration over the matter.

Ben drove instinctively down the long road leading to the Town centre, then caught Lucas' dark stare and turned the car around at his indication. Ben continued on back the way they had came, then turned into the standalone building that held the offsite cells at Lucas' instruction and parked outside the main entrance. 'We got an appointment I don't know about?' Ben asked confused.

'I just need to make a quick pit stop, you keep the car runnin'' Lucas advised and got out of the car, after reaching for the Trinity Guardian newspaper on the back passenger seat.

Lucas entered the dark building and nodded toward Greg, who was on call today. It was not often that he ventured into these parts, especially as this was where the criminals who were awaiting trial were held and he did not want to be seen to interfere in the proper judicial process; however, he was feeling mischievous and he needed to let off some pent up frustration, so who better to target than the unexpected candidate for the upcoming Mayor election.

Gregg handed his boss the keys to the cells without question, then went back to reading the newspaper. Lucas smiled at the lack of attention the man gave and causally strolled into the cells, knowing there was no-one present to challenge whatever he chose to do.

Dylan heard the loud creak of the main door open and let out a surprised breath. He assumed this was his Lawyer Adam, who did not appear to be interested in his client recently and let out a long sigh. Dylan had tried to get the officers on duty to contact Adam on a number of occasions, so they could work out a strategy to get him out of this mess; however, Adam did not answer the calls and never came.

'And he's not here now' Lucas smirked, as he approached the man with an air of malice surrounding him.

Dylan sat up from his lying position on the uncomfortable bed and stared at the Sheriff confused. 'I didn't think I was worth your time' he laughed bitterly and watched the man carefully.

'You don't appear to be worth anyone's time' Lucas replied, then slowly ran a pen over cells he passed and smiled when the clanging sound appeared to irritate Dylan.

'You can't speak to me without a Lawyer present' Dylan advised, suddenly feeling a large lump in his throat and gulped hard.

Lucas laughed knowingly and shook his head. 'Lawyer? And who would that be? I don't see anybody around here givin' you the time of day' he advised smugly, then threw the Trinity Guardian newspaper onto the dust riddled floor of the cell.

Dylan stared at Lucas suspiciously for a moment, then rushed down and picked up the newspaper. This was the first thing he had been allowed anything that could give him some indication that the outside world still existed and he would not give up his chance to read it, no matter what the Sheriff was planning. Dylan did not have to search far before his mouth dropped open and his eyes began to bulge.

'You see that? The only Lawyer stupid enough to consider your case appears to be gettin' swayed by an outside party' Lucas advised, hoping to stop Adam's campaign before the man had even fully committed.

'He's a good honest man who knows the charges against me are bull, he wouldn't just...'

'Accept to be part of the runnin' for Mayor and abandon you?' Lucas interrupted, amused at the despair that was radiating off of Dylan. 'I guess you have my wife to thank for that, she can be very persuasive'

Dylan stared at Lucas bemused, not understanding why Gail would firstly write an article outing him to the whole Town and secondly, convince his Lawyer to run for Mayor. Surely she had to know that Adam could not risk his reputation to defend him if he was trying to secure votes for Mayor.

'My love knows what she's doin' and it appears to be a mystery to us both' Lucas sighed, reading his mind effortlessly. 'If I were you, I'd nip this in the bud before your one chance of gettin' outta here leaves you in the gutter to rot, while he goes for the glory'

Dylan stood up with the newspaper clenched in his fists. 'I wanna speak to my Lawyer now!' he demanded angrily.

Lucas let out a small laugh and shook his head. 'Do I look like an errand boy?...I'm gonna leave you be to figure out the best course of action here, good luck friend' Lucas smirked, then strolled out of the cell and headed for the car.

* * *

Billy sat on the neat table in front of the fireplace, in the extravagant restaurant where Lucas had booked their table. He had been surprised to receive an invitation from the man, especially when he appeared to have forgotten that they were actually friends recently; however, he was happy for the offer and had ensured that he brought Christie with him, in an attempt to get rid of any bad blood that they may have for each other.

'I really don't want to be here, why don't we just leave and find a cosy corner in a Bar somewhere to have some fun?' Christie asked, knowing Billy could not normally resist such an offer.

'How classy my friend is' Gail mocked as she approached the table wearing a short black lace dress and her long brown hair partly clipped up, with loose curls draped over her shoulders and down her back. She shot Billy a playful wink and warm smile when he waved at her pleasantly.

Christie cringed at the sound of her friends voice and felt her cheeks run hot with embarrassment. 'I was just kidding' she lied, 'Where's your other half'

'Ensuring the bill is put on our tab' Gail advised and smiled at Christie's discomfort at having to accept something from Lucas.

'I can pay for myself...' Christie started.

'Well you'll be the only one' Lucas stated flatly, as he came up behind Gail and stroked her back affectionately, before performing his usual gentlemanly duty and holding out a chair for her to sit on.

With the Antique Store's opening day out of the way, Gail was in the mood for some harmless fun and was more than happy to play the devoted wife tonight, to give her husband the opportunity to sort things out with Christie in a neutral territory. She placed a soft kiss on Lucas' lips, stroked his cheeks tenderly then sat down obediently and smiled when he admired the effort she had put into her appearance for him.

Lucas sat down beside his wife, then took her hand in his brought it to his lips gently. He smiled when Gail took in a small breath and knew she was attempting to control her urges. 'You look ravishin' as always...wine my love?' he asked seductively, ignoring their present company.

'I think I'm going to need some to get through this' Christie interjected bitterly, then glanced around the room quickly when she caught sight of Gail's warning look.

'Let's start with a bottle of red' Gail suggested, then took in another deep breath when Lucas ran his lips over her hand that he was holding and turned her attention to Billy. 'I'm assuming you're still drinking anything that's put in front of you?'

'You still know me well' Billy nodded in agreement, then stared confused at Christie when she shot him a suspicious look.

'How well do you know each other?' Christie asked, starting to become aware of how complimentary Billy always was to Gail.

'Ah hell, ain't you cute' Lucas mocked amused, 'You don't remember him followin' her around like a love sick puppy when you first visited Trinity after you had your little girl?'

Christie was suddenly hit with a flashback of when she had been ordered to get Gail back to Charleston, she had brought some weed to smoke with her friend as Christie had wanted to let loose and Billy ended up joining them by the river. Revisiting that time now, she realised that he had obviously been taken with her friend and a feeling of disdain started to flood through her.

'Oh behave man, nothin' happened and we were just close friends' Billy advised, sensing Christie's mood change drastically.

'Nothin' happened as I nipped it in the bud when I caught you two kissin' in her bedroom' Lucas corrected smugly, then leaned back in his chair when the waiter brought his usual brand of wine and watched the drama on the other side of the table unfold.

Christie ignored Billy's stuttering, as he attempted to explain away the statement and stared straight at Lucas. His smug look was causing her anger to increase and she wanted nothing more than to wipe the smile off his face. She held her composure while the waiter poured four glasses of wine and placed the menus in front of them, then turned her full attention to Lucas and was ready to give him both barrels.

'Enough' Gail ordered calmly, sensing the emotions of both Christie and Lucas, then gently pushed a glass of red wine towards her friend and held her glass up expectantly.

Christie held Lucas' gaze for a moment, not wanting to back down; however, she had sensed the warning in Gail's tone so turned her attention towards her friend, then obediently picked up the glass and moved it close to hers.

'You think one kiss in a fragile drunken moment is the end of the world? You ever tell your other half about what we got up to at that drunken night in Maine?' Gail asked Christie, amused at the thought of their secret and knowing that a change of subject was required.

Christie instantly forgot about her previous anger and leaned closer to her friend. 'God no, have you told him?' she signalled towards Lucas and laughed guiltily.

Gail laughed and shook her head, then clinked their glasses and started drinking her wine. When Christie pulled her head back to down her drink and allowed Billy to kiss her neck, Gail discreetly poured her drink into Lucas' glass then shot him a mischievous wink.

Christie felt herself relax, happy that Gail still remembered how close they were and picked up the menu to decide what food she wanted. She supposed she should at least try to enjoy this uncomfortable dinner a little, considering nothing on the expensive menu was off limits.

Lucas stared at both women intrigued, then picked up the bottle of wine and refilled both of their glasses. 'I think we need a conversation about what an open, honest relationship consists of love' he stated, wanting to know what secrets she had been keeping from him about her past.

'Not a chance soulmate' Gail said sweetly, then squeezed his knee reassuringly under the table to show him that she was still on his side.

* * *

It was coming towards the closing time of the restaurant and the table was on their third bottle of wine, the men had switched to Whiskey and it appeared the women were happy to polish off the wine on their own.

'So, you never told me about how you got trapped by this old man' Christie advised, watching the couple over the table from her closely and unable to keep up her pleasant demeanour any longer due to her drunken state.

Lucas, who was sat with his arm around Gail and held her close to his chest, let out a long sigh at the comment and waited for the insults to come, unimpressed that he would be unable to retaliate.

Gail rolled her eyes at the comment, then ran her hand up Lucas' chest slowly and unbuttoned a few buttons before pushing her hand into his shirt and playing with his chest hair. 'You nearly made it to the finish didn't you?' she asked sarcastically and looked up at Lucas when he kissed her forehead softly.

'It's just strange that you would allow yourself to get involved with a man so much older than you' Christie baited, disregarding Billy's look of warning.

Lucas was about to answer the comment when he felt Gail tug at his chest hair and chose to remain silent.

'As you know, my husband shows no signs of his age in the bedroom or outside of it and for someone who claims to know me so well, I'm surprised you believe I'd be that shallow to allow age to be a factor' Gail stated calmly, happy that at least Lucas was behaving.

Christie had known Gail long enough to spot when her calmness was masking her annoyance and sensed that right now. 'I'm not trying to offend you, I'm just doing my job' she advised, wanting Gail to know this was not personal against her.

Gail sat up straight and moved the hand that was inside Lucas' shirt to his thigh, then squeezed it reassuringly. 'Judging by what I've seen so far, you're not doing it very well' she laughed and smiled at the insulted look which came over Christie's face.

'Judging by what I've found out recently, I don't think you've conducted yourself very well by shacking up with your cousins father' Christie let out bitterly in her drunken state.

'Stop it!' Billy snapped at her, then turned to address Gail and Lucas apologetically. 'This is my fault, I let that slip the other night'

Lucas could not contain his laughter and shook his head. 'Wow, so you couldn't even find out that detail using your own investigative abilities, you had to rely on the man you're screwing?' he asked in disbelief.

Christie stood up and slammed her hands down hard on the table, causing the remaining restaurant staff to look at them. 'I don't know what you've done to her, or how you get away with so much in this Town but I'm going to find out' she warned.

Gail glanced at the restaurant staff, concerned for a moment about what they might hear; however, they clearly knew better than to openly spy on Lucas Buck and had left the room quickly. When they had gone she stood up slowly and approached her friend, then grabbed her arm abruptly and pulled her close. 'I couldn't care less about what you're doing, I'd even applaud you if you managed to find out something concrete but you wont and I've done this investigation a million times over already'

'Why are you with him? There's something clearly wrong...' Christie started, then stopped when Gail dragged her further away from the table.

'Do you think I'm stupid?' Gail asked bluntly, finally having enough of this her friends obsession with her love life.

Christie saw the anger in her eyes and shook her head. 'Of course not'

'So you just think I'm naive and easily led?' Gail asked flatly.

'No I don't' Christie advised and sensed she had pushed too far.

'So when you attack my conduct and accuse me of sleeping with my cousins father, you think that was common knowledge to me at the time?' Gail asked, attempting to remain calm.

'I didn't meant to suggest...' Christie stammered.

'So you meant to accuse my husband of an elaborate plot to keep me here and goad me into marrying him, when he knew he was my cousins father? You assume he somehow cunningly forced me into this relationship with lies and kept the truth from me?' Gail asked in a sceptical tone, careful not to let any truth of the matter show.

'Well I don't know...' Christie started defensively.

'No you don't and you don't even know when Lucas found out that he was his father, it could've been last week for God's sake' Gail interrupted dominantly, deciding to put this matter to a close. 'You have no idea what me or Caleb have gone through in our lives and you want to put this on us now?'

'I know what you went through when you were younger, it's why I'm making sure you're OK now' Christie advised, annoyed at herself for upsetting her friend.

Gail let out a small laugh and shook her head. 'You know nothing about me or my childhood, but Lucas knows it all. You know nothing about my cousin, aunt or my marriage for that matter, but I can assure you that it's built on honesty...I'm never going to let you know what went on with my family, whether it be my old family or new. Does that mean you're going to try and dig into my inconsistencies?' she asked accusingly and stared at her unimpressed.

Christie saw the change in her friend and realised there was a lot that she did not know or understand; however, she sensed it was not wise to press the issue. 'Of course I wouldn't investigate you, you're my family' she advised truthfully.

'But you'd stoop down to the level of enlisting the help of my husbands ex in an attempt to dig up dirt on him? Did you really think I had no idea what you were doing?' Gail asked in disbelief.

Christie did not like this confrontation, especially when Gail had kept out of her investigation so far. 'You know what we do, if there's a source we follow it. It's not my fault your husband burdened you with this' Christie stated defensively.

'You really think I need Lucas to tell me what you're doing? God, you've gotten even stupider than I thought. I couldn't give a damn about what you waste your time on relating to Lucas and I won't stop you looking, but Caleb and my family are off limits...If I find out that you overstepped regarding my family, I will get involved and you really don't want that to happen. Do you understand?' Gail asked calmly.

Christie regarded her friend carefully for a moment, ready to continue arguing her view; however, some of her common sense returned when she sensed the threat in her tone and she relaxed. 'I understand' she advised and let out a small sigh when Gail released the grip on her arm.

'Everythin' already love?' Lucas asked protectively, as he came up behind Gail and placed his hands on her hips.

'Everything's fine, we're done here' she advised him, then gave Billy a small wave before allowing Lucas to lead her out of the restaurant.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

The drive home from the restaurant was uncomfortable to say the least, Gail had opted to drive as she had off loaded her drinks to Lucas all night and Lucas sat watching her curiously the whole way home. When Gail pulled up at the Buck Mansion in Lucas' navy blue Crown Victoria and parked it beside her blood red Mustang, she turned off the engine and sat silently staring at their large property.

'We need to do somethin' about her soon, you know that right?' Lucas asked, still reeling from Gail stepping in when she was adamant that she would not.

'You need to act like a normal Sheriff and hope she really isn't as good as me, as you can't seduce her to stop her from looking' Gail snapped in frustration, then went to exit the car; however, Lucas pulled her back effortlessly.

Lucas sensed her irritation and stroked her cheek reassuringly. 'There's nothin' to find Gail, you know that better than anyone and that parasite isn't capable of an in depth investigation' he advised, as he reached over to the drivers chair and pushed it back with Gail in it.

'That parasite is my friend and she was capable enough to use her expertise to loosen the lips of your friend' Gail scolded and begrudgingly allowed him to remove her panties.

Lucas shook his head at Billy's incompetence and manoeuvred himself on top of his wife, then unzipped his pants and released his manhood. 'That boy was your friend first and his constant proximity to you is probably what foolishly convinced me to allow him into my inner circle in the first place' he advised, then ran his hands under her dress and stroked her sweet spot teasingly.

'You mean when he broke my confidence and went behind my back to report on me to you? Great choice of friends by the way' she mocked and reached down to his hard manhood, then cupped it in her hand gently.

Lucas smiled at her playful look, then forced her legs open wider with his knees and pushed his manhood inside of her gently. 'You can't talk about my choice of friends when you refuse to fully deal with your own' he mock scolded, then began to thrust in and out of her hard.

Gail let out a small laugh and shook her head, then bit her lip to stifle her enjoyment. 'If I remember correctly, me dealing with my friend ended up in a felony being committed...twice' she stated and let out a loud moan at the pleasure he was giving her.

Lucas laughed and nipped at her lip playfully. 'I corrected that for you, expecting you to deal with her in a healthy way but now she's become more of a problem and a final solution needs to be agreed'

'The only final solution I'm accepting right now is you getting a move on, so we can continue this inside' Gail teased, then called out his name when he pushed himself into her harder.

Lucas felt her unwavering desire for him and sped up his movements as she required. He would discuss the Christie situation tomorrow; however, right now he wanted nothing more than to release his pent up desires and could not get enough of her.

* * *

Lucas stood at the edge of the riverbank, watching the calm waves roll by. It was a pleasant day, there were no clouds in the sky to restrict the warm sun above him and Lucas rolled up his sleeves to allow the suns rays to catch his skin.

It had been a long time since he visited this area, he remembered being brought her as a young boy with his mother when she wanted to get away from his father, or the prying eyes of Trinity's residents. He noted that this was not far from Gail's cabin and made a mental note to explore the possible connection at a later time; however, right now he was content with gazing into the water and allowing Trinity's invisible presence to wash over him.

Lucas closed his eyes for a moment, taking in all the power that surrounded him and when he opened his eyes, he spotted a small girl on the other side of the river. He watched curiously as she stared at him and wondered how his heightened senses had not picked up on the intrusion sooner. He instinctively raised a hand to wave at her politely; however, the girl stood still unmoved, with her arms by her side.

Lucas took a step closer to the water, trying to get a better look at the young girl. The girl was wearing a red and green tartan dress, with her long brown hair in pigtails high on her head and she did not appear to be older than 3 or 4 years old. Lucas opened his minds eyes in an attempt to locate any adults close by, as this little girl should not be on her own this close to the river; however, there was only the two them present here.

The young girl suddenly held her hand up and waved at him, causing Lucas to smile and wave back. He had never been interested in children, even when Caleb was born he had still remained detached as Gage had taken up his role and Lucas was unable to insert his claim, due to the boys conception and his position in Trinity; however, having Luke around him had softened him to the charm of children and he suddenly felt drawn to the little girl across the river from him.

The girl smiled when Lucas waved at her, then took a step forward towards the water. Lucas held his hand out in warning for her to halt and again searched the area for her parents. When it was evident that they were alone, he attempted to project himself over to her; however, something was blocking him.

Lucas focused on the young girls face and let out a small laugh, he could not be certain due to the distance between them; however, he believed his mind was playing a trick on him, as the girl appeared to be very similar to a young Merlyn Temple. Lucas shook his head and waved off the apparent figment of his imagine, pushing away a small feeling of concern when the girl took a step closer to the river again.

The girl continued to watch Lucas intently, her smile fading when he waved her away and she began walking to the water, closing the distance between them. A crow flew close above her head and she stared up at it curiously, before placing her small foot into the water carefully and disregarding the cold feeling that the river brought.

Lucas felt a wave of discomfort when the crows vision of the girl was delivered to him and it became evident that she was not Merlyn, she looked like the double of Gail when she was a child. That was not quite right though, as there were some facial features that were slightly different; however, he sensed that his love was a part of this child and he watched in horror as she waded into the river, as if trying to come to him.

Lucas rushed into the water, knowing in his soul that this girl was important and when the water started to engulf her, her cries pierced through his brain. Lucas dove further into the water and began frantically swimming to the other side, still hearing the girls muffled screams as the water entered her lungs.

Suddenly, her screams stopped and he felt a hand grip his ankle, pulling him below the surface. Lucas attempted to release his twin to assist; however, he was again blocked and was being dragged deeper below the surface of the river. He felt the water enter his lungs and fought to break free, but the hand on his ankle was too strong. When he glanced down, he saw the woman in the portrait buried deep in his property that resembled Gail in a past life and she was smiling up at him with a malevolent look in her eyes.

Lucas tried to take control of the situation and managed to kick free of her grasp, then began swimming to the surface. When he looked up, he saw the small bare feet of the young girl and he tried frantically to reach her as the air disappeared from his lungs. His body started to convulse as he inhaled water, unable to continue his struggle to the surface and he felt the life draining from his body.

Lucas awoke suddenly to a pillow pressed over his face, preventing him from taking in any air. He pulled the pillow away quickly to see Gail straddling him on their bed with a dazed look on her face, then took hold of her hands that were using the pillow to suffocate him and shook her hard.

Gail awoke from her trance and stared down at Lucas confused, she had no idea why she was on top of him or why he was gasping for air and gripping her hands. 'Jesus, are you alright?' she asked concerned, reaching to caress his face and gave him a wounded look as he pulled her hands away from him.

'Am I alright?' Lucas snapped angrily, trying to get some much needed air into his lungs and attempting to shake off the dream he had just awoken from.

Gail felt herself become teary, due to the confusion over her current position and the way Lucas was regarding her. She did not feel herself and this weak reaction was concerning her.

Lucas caught sight of a tear running down her cheek and took a deep breath to control his anger, then released her hands and stroked her bare legs softly. He ran his hands underneath her short silk nightdress and manoeuvred himself to a sitting position leaning against the wooden headboard, then pulled her closer to him. 'If you wanna kill me, I'd hope you'd give me a fightin' chance rather than ambushing me in my sleep' Lucas said and shook his head at the unexpected situation.

Gail stared deep into his eyes, still confused as to what had happened and relaxed when Lucas smiled at her, then rubbed his nose on hers. 'If I wanted to kill you, I'd take you to the family burial ground to hash it out fairly, or down to the river' she advised, regaining her senses and running her hands up his chest affectionately.

Lucas was brought back to his dream for a moment, then the thought disappeared when she took him inside of her and he let out a loud moan. 'You did just try to kill me Gail' he advised, cupping her chin in his and bringing her face closer to his.

'Serves you right for raping my aunt and putting me in an uncomfortable situation with my friend' Gail stated unexpectedly, then shook off her apparent subconscious ill feelings towards him and kissed him passionately.

Lucas remained on guard for a few moments, unsure what to make of her behaviour and then relaxed when she began to ride him confidently. He sensed her confusion over the matter and applauded her for being smart enough not to allow her guard to be up so she remained transparent at this moment in time. He nipped at her neck playfully, then the pleasure became too much and he moved her to a lying position on the bed, needing to be in control.

Gail sensed his need and did not fight him, she savoured the taste of his tongue in her mouth when he kissed her and scraped her nails down his back, to show her enjoyment of him.

Lucas kept his movements slow, to remind her what they had and ran his hands over her body appreciatively. He sensed her desire for him to take her hard; however, he remained committed to his tender movements and smiled each time she cursed at him for taking her this way. Lucas knew deep down that her previous action was not intentional and disregarded all suspicions of her.

Gail sensed his unconditional commitment to her and when his suspicion disappeared, she pulled her lips to his ear and nipped at it gently. 'I do love you' she admitted, hating the words coming out of her mouth but knowing it was necessary.

Lucas inhaled deeply, then pulled her lips to his for a passionate kiss. 'You're forgiven this time' he advised, then continued to take her softly until their climax came together and he exploded within her.

Gail rested her head on the pillow exhausted, then tangled her hand in Lucas' hair when he lay comfortably on her chest and he nodded back off to sleep. When her mind had become clear and Lucas' guard was down, she had caught sight of herself pulling him deeper below the surface of the Trinity River and knew there would be no more sleep for her tonight.

* * *

Caleb rode casually over the pier and smiled at the people who waved at him. He had noticed that people appeared to be paying more attention to him now, since he had assisted Lucas with his big announcement previously and guessed that this was part of being a Buck. Caleb was not used to the attention and was not sure how he felt about being watched, as he enjoyed his own space; however, he could not change who his family were and it was about time that he stopped shying away from the public.

A pretty young woman who he recognised from Goat Town the previous day smiled and waved at him as he passed her, Caleb turned to return her courtesy; however, when he looked forward again he nearly rode into a large post and frantically steered his bicycle out of the way, before falling off onto his face hard.

'Well that was smooth' Rose said judgmentally, with her hands placed firmly on hips.

'I meant to do that' Caleb lied, attempting to shrug off his embarrassment and pushed the bicycle off of his legs.

Rose watched as he attempted to untangle himself, then laughed at his stupidity and held out a hand to help him up. 'By the time you figure your way up, I'll have grey hair' she mocked and smiled when he took her hand.

Caleb welcomed her assistance, then stood tall and dusted himself off. 'What do you care what I'm doin' anyway?' he asked abruptly, not being able to remember the last time Rose actually made an effort to acknowledge him.

Rose had distanced herself from Caleb and Boone, on the orders of her mother; therefore, she could not blame Caleb for being hostile with her. Her mother believed she had been hanging around with the wrong crowd and would gain a reputation if she was friends with Caleb, so when they left the Boarding House Rose had no choice but to follow her mothers orders.

It was nice to come across him as he was one of her closest friends when she was younger and she knew better than to accept his sulky moods. 'Oh behave, if I didn't care I woulda left you down there like a lemon, wouldn't I?' she asked in a stern tone and started walking down the pier with him, when she picked up her own bicycle.

'Maybe I don't wanna be bothered' Caleb stated moodily, not sure why he felt so guarded with her.

Rose sensed his discomfort and her smiled faded. She suddenly felt herself becoming upset and stopped following him, then turned back the way she had came and wondered why she was so bothered by him anyway.

Caleb glanced over his shoulder as she started to leave, then let out a long sigh and stopped in his tracks. 'You gonna give up that easy?' he called back at her and waited for her to respond.

Rose smiled when she heard him address her and turned back towards him happily. 'I ain't doin' nothin'' she stated and tried to remain cool, then rushed back towards him and they walked further down the pier.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, both unsure of what to say to each other, then Caleb gave himself a mental shake. 'You wanna see somethin' cool?' he asked casually, not taking his eyes off the river to his right.

Rose thought for a moment, then nodded. 'I reckon I ain't got nothin' better to do' she shrugged, then jumped on her bicycle and allowed Caleb to lead the way.

* * *

Adam Stone walked down the long corridor that led to the off site holding cells and kept going over the options that were available to him in his head. He had not yet made a decision on whether to retract his services to Dylan, which he initially offered as he suspected the man was being railroaded for some reason by the Sheriff, or to continue on with the defence case and risk the public damning him. Adam did not usually take on board public opinion when it came to a case that he was working; however, he had found himself seriously considering the opportunity of running for Mayor, after he was thrown into the ring by Gail Buck a few weeks ago.

Adam liked to believe that he was a fair man and there was something that did not sit right with Dylan's case, that was why he had initially felt the need to introduce himself to Gail and try to establish why she had written the article before he was arrested. She had spotted the apparent predator nature of Dylan and convinced a lot of women to come forward to testify about what had transpired with them; however, it was a bit strange as to why this matter did not come out sooner and why Gail had felt the need to intervene in the first place.

It was not that he did not trust Gail, the woman was known for her integrity in Charleston and Trinity and when you met her, her fierce virtuous determination shone through. The issue he had was with the timing of Dylan's arrest, people had linked him to the murder of a Tattoo Artist in Goat Town that had happened around that time and this was all due to his character being questioned in the media. Although the man may be a serial date rapist and Gail had not actually mentioned the Goat Town murder in her article, the townspeople appeared happy to make a connection themselves and Adam was not convinced that Dylan was being treated fairly.

The case intrigued him, that was the cold hard truth of the matter; however, so did the position of Mayor and he truly believed he would be able to do some good in Trinity, especially if he had Gail by his side to keep the Sheriff at bay. The Sheriff was a hard man to please, everybody knew that and she would be key in allowing him to get his voice heard amongst the ranks. No one had ever suspected Lucas Buck would settle down, the man had been single for so long and now that he had, the woman who had managed to tame him would be an important ally to anyone that could temp her to their side.

As he made his way up to the Deputy manning the cells, Adam decided he was going to tell Dylan that he would not be defending him and suggest another competent Lawyer who may take the case. It was the only logical decision that would benefit his family and although he did not like abandoning a project, it was the right choice for him at this time.

'You just missed him' the Deputy said from his seated position, not looking up from the newspaper he was reading.

'Missed who?' Adam asked confused and gently pulled the newspaper out of the mans hands, to prompt the Deputy to look at him.

'Your client, he's just been hauled down to the holdin' cells at the Station' the Deputy sighed, then rummaged in his pocket and handed him a sealed envelope. 'He did leave you this though'

Adam took the envelope, then turned around and headed for the exit. He had not been made aware of any transfer and he did not like being unaware of official actions relating to his clients.

When he exited the dull building and came out into the bright sunshine, he sat on the bonnet of his car and opened the envelope. He let out a long exasperated sigh at what he read and shook his head in irritation, then got in his car and headed towards Goat Town.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Lucas entered the dark Wicca Store that he had gifted Gail as a wedding present and glanced around the quiet property that his mother used to own. There was a strange presence here and it caused his urges to run wild; however, he was not here to have his usual fun and was looking to discuss what had happened in the early hours of the morning.

'And here I was thinking that you had gotten over our little mishap' Gail stated sarcastically from the small office at the back of the Store, then entered the main area with Luke in her arms.

'Da...da...' Luke called and reached for his father.

'That's my boy' Lucas smiled proudly, willing him to say his name first and reached for his son instinctively.

Gail handed Luke over carefully, then paced the large room and ran her fingers over the large cabinets filled with old merchandise and literature. 'This place is a gem' she advised, still fascinated by the secrets it held.

'My mother believed it was haunted' Lucas recalled and smiled fondly at the thought of his mother.

'But Malcolm called her crazy' Gail said knowingly, then turned towards her husband and watched him closely.

'Get outta my head love' he ordered calmly, then shifted Luke to rest on his hip and watched Gail intently.

Gail sensed his intrigue with her and let out a small laugh. It was evident that he was attempting to come up with a reason for her strange behaviour earlier and she had no answers for him. 'I don't know what happened, I probably just had a nightmare with all the stress I'm under so just let it go' she sighed, choosing to address the matter head on rather than dancing around in their usual fashion.

Lucas slowly walked around the large room with Luke, then stopped in front of her and stared deep into her eyes. 'I haven't had a nightmare since I avenged my mother, did I ever tell you about that?' he asked casually, sensing her darkness closer than usual and feeling his own beginning to rise within him.

Gail stared at him cautiously, sensing his dark desires and held his intense gaze. Lucas had not fully opened up to her about his mother and she was not sure that she trusted his motives right now.

Lucas sensed her distrust and laughed. 'You're strugglin' to trust me?' he asked in disbelief, then placed Luke carefully into the small cot Gail kept in here for him and approached his love again.

Gail inhaled deeply when he closed the distance between them, she had rushed out this morning as she did not want a confrontation; however, it appeared her husband would not let the matter go and she suspected he was angrier than his current disposition suggested.

'Can you blame me when I woke up with a pillow preventing me from breathin'?' he asked and watched her reaction carefully.

'You held a knife to my throat on New Years eve and you want to play the victim now?' she replied defensively, feeling her darkness try to take hold of the situation.

Lucas grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, then shook his head slowly. 'Oh no Darlin', you don't get to turn this around on me this time' he warned, inserting his dominance and waited patiently for her to respond.

Before Gail could come up with an appropriate response, the door of the Wicca Store opened abruptly. She bit her lip to stifle her relieved sigh and turned her attention towards the interruption, ignoring Lucas' fury at the disruption. 'Adam?' she asked confused, surprised at his unannounced visit.

Adam instantly sensed that he had interrupted something between the couple and shifted uncomfortably on the spot. 'I need you' he stated in an urgent tone.

Lucas raised an eyebrow at the statement and turned towards Gail proprietorially. 'Oh he needs you now?' he asked possessively and narrowed his eyes distrustfully at the man.

'Jealousy doesn't suit you soulmate' Gail teased, then smiled reassuringly at Lucas before placing a soft kiss on his lips and heading towards Adam.

'We ain't finished love' Lucas advised sternly, not impressed that she was choosing another man over him.

'We are for now' Gail replied in a firm warning tone, then left him with Luke while she exited the Store with Adam.

* * *

Caleb rode up to the side entrance to his home and dropped his bicycle carefully onto the ground. He sensed Rose was wary about being here and signalled for her to follow him, excited at the chance to show off his extravagant home.

'I don't think my momma would want me messin' around here' Rose said nervously, knowing her mother would ground her if she knew she was intruding in the Sheriff's home.

'Well my momma wouldn't mind my friend spendin' time in my home' Caleb stated confidently, then took Rose's arm and dragged her around the side of the property.

'Your momma's dead' Rose gasped, wondering if Caleb had gone crazy due to all the tragedy he had suffered.

'I mean Gail silly, she's basically my momma now' Caleb shrugged, then stopped when they reached the back of the property and peered at the large garden in front of them.

Rose was about to enquire about the relationship that he had with his cousin, then caught sight of the large back garden and stared at it in awe. She had rode past this Mansion on a number of occasions; however, she had never imagined the property could be as vast as this and it held an old fashioned charm that she had not come across anywhere else in Trinity.

'Cool ain't it?' Caleb asked proudly, then took her hand and led her closer to the large old fountain at the beginning of his backyard.

'It's all so big, how do you even keep it tidy?' she asked, gobsmacked at how well kept the garden was.

Caleb glanced around the area, then leaned on the large fountain attempting to be cool. 'Gail I guess, she's always around back doin' somethin' or other...I wanna fix this up for her, but I don't know where to start' he pondered and ran his finger over the old fountain carefully.

'You start by keepin' strangers away from it' Lucas advised in a scolding tone, as he came around back with Luke in his arms after sensing an unauthorised person on his property.

Rose's eyes grew wide when she saw the Sheriff and she started to run away towards the front of the property; however, he blocked her path.

'You in a rush Darlin'?' he smiled charmingly, catching the innocent beauty of the child.

'We weren't doin' nothin'' she gulped nervously under his intense attractive stare and shifted uncomfortably on her feet.

Lucas sensed her admiration of him and laughed it off, then turned his attention to Caleb. 'You really wanna fix that up?' he asked, remembering how much Gail had wanted to restore this part of their property; however, they had both gotten sidetracked by other ventures.

Caleb came to Rose's side and stood tall beside her. 'I would if I could, Rose'll help me too I bet' he advised and shot her a friendly smile.

Lucas sensed how much Caleb was attempting to impress this girl and did not have to heart to shoot down his aspirations in front of her. He had done more with older girls at Caleb's age than the boy could imagine and it was about time that his eldest focused on something other than their family.

If Caleb wanted to take on a project to further his position with this girl, he would not stop him and it would be good for the boy to spend time with a pretty girl close to his own age. 'Alright, we'll work somethin' out, but not now. You both wanna grab some grub, then come down to the Station and see what police work looks like?' Lucas asked in an inviting tone, not wanting to leave them alone here in case they decided to snoop further down towards the back of the property.

Rose's eyes lit up at the suggestion and they both nodded frantically.

'Well OK then, lets take your brother and go have some real fun' he smiled, not bothering to hide Caleb's true relationship to Luke and led the children around to the front of the property, towards his car.

* * *

Lucas returned to the Station with the children after he had treated Caleb and Rose to a burger, then left them to be entertained by Ben and headed straight to his office with Luke. He had made the decision to transfer Dylan back to the Station holding cells earlier, in the hopes that Adam would withdraw his interest in the position of Mayor and run to his clients rescue; however, he had not expected the man to involve Gail and decided it was best for him to be on hand, in case his love chose to interfere with his plans.

Gail sensed her family as soon as they entered the building; however, she did not react. She was currently standing at the door to the holding cells, rereading the note Adam had given her and pondering over the best course of action to take. 'He can't be serious with this can he? I mean, it's got to be the stupidest move I've ever come across' she stated in disbelief and stared into the cells through the small window on the door.

Adam did not like this turn of events, he had been ready to change his stance and defend Dylan if the man brought about a good enough argument; however, what was written on the note was clearly a lie and an attempt to blackmail himself out of this situation, which Adam wanted no part of. 'I know it's not true, I only have to see the way you and the Sheriff look at each other to know that there's no chance in hell of this, but if he gets a chance to say it in public...'

'I'm a Reporter Adam, I know how this works. Hell, if this claim wasn't about me I'd run with the story myself' she laughed, in an attempt to hide her fury at the situation she now found herself in.

'So we're on the same page with this?' Adam asked hopefully, aware that the only good thing to potentially come out of this was a stronger bond with her.

'Of course we are and I'm assuming you're now fully committed to the election, rather than to this cockroach?' Gail asked bluntly, understanding that she was forming an alliance with the man before her and aware that Lucas would not be impressed.

Adam let out a long sigh and nodded, then ran his hand through his hair in exasperation at his own actions. 'You're a Reporter and I shouldn't be involvin' you in this. I could've gone to the Sheriff but wasn't sure whether that was the right play, with the note directly namin' you' he explained apologetically for dragging her down here.

'We don't want Lucas getting involved in this, trust me when I say he wouldn't take too kindly to Dylan's accusation' Gail advised knowingly, then signalled for Adam to wait outside the door and entered the holding cells alone.

Gail hated this place, she had been here when Matt got himself locked up and when Billy got accused of some stupid crime. She did not know how it was always so easy for her to get into here, when technically her Reporter status should make this area off limits; however, she supposed this was a benefit of being the Sheriff's wife. It was a good job that she cared about her integrity and would never cheat her way to a story, as it appeared that most of the Deputies here would not hesitate to give her the inside scoop.

'So you came' Dylan said bitterly when she came closer to his cell, then got up from the dingy bed that he was sitting on.

The sound of his voice took her away from her thoughts and she focused on the task before her. 'You accused me of cheating on my husband with you and begged for me to come, how could I refuse such an appealing offer?' Gail replied sarcastically and stopped a few yards from the cell.

'You turned on me' he accused in a hurt tone.

'You raped helpless women who were too weak to stand up for themselves, then stalked me' Gail advised in disbelief at him behaving like a victim.

'Your husband made me confess to bein' in Goat Town the night that man was murdered, why'd he do that Gail?' Dylan asked curiously, disregarding her previous comment and actually enjoying having a conversation with her. He had a lot of time to think in here and some things just weren't adding up, so he decided to use this meeting to his advantage.

Gail's demeanour remained unchanged and she regarded him pleasantly. 'My husband wouldn't do such a thing, he's the Sheriff of Trinity and highly regarded around here...If you believe you were coerced in some way, you should've raised that with your Lawyer or an unbiased Reporter, not one who's married to the guy' Gail laughed at his stupidity, not falling for his attempt to engage her.

'You took my Lawyer!' Dylan shouted and ran towards her, then punched the cell in frustration.

Gail continued to stand casually, unfazed by his attempt to appear dominant. She had dealt with a lot of misguided men in her time, who believed they had an upper hand against her and in the end they all fell without much effort. 'I took nothing from you, your Lawyer decided to run for Mayor' Gail shrugged and crossed her arms over her chest to indicate her boredom.

Dylan shook his head at her lack of interest in him and let out a grim laugh. 'You're just as rotten as your husband and when I get on that stand in front of the Jury, I'm gonna tell everybody that I fucked you hard and how much you liked it...let's see who's focused on puttin' me down for a crime I didn't commit then' he advised viciously and watched her smugly through the bars.

Gail held his gaze firmly and moved forward slowly, until her face was nearly touching the bars to his cell. She felt herself being dragged to the back of her subconscious and was watching what transpired next as if through water.

Dylan watched her carefully, surprised that she had come so close and obeyed curiously when she signalled him to come closer.

Gail felt herself smile as he obeyed her like a curious puppy, then she was engulfed by darkness. 'You're wrong you know?' she whispered sweetly, moving her face closer to the bars. 'I'm not as bad he is...I'm worse' she stated calmly, then lost all control of her inner barrier and Rosemary clawed her way out.

Dylan smiled smugly for a moment, sensing that he had her where he wanted her. His smile faded suddenly when her eyes changed from a vacant haze to a dark black and he stepped back from the bars slowly, sensing an urgent need to get away from her; however, her eyes were fixed on his and he could feel his control on his body being pulled away fiercely.

Dylan tried to fight the takeover, but it was no use and his control completed faded. A dark shadow come over him and he felt an intense fear when the dripping wet woman appeared in front of him, with her hair draped heavily over her pale face. He wanted to scream from the top of his lungs; however, his mouth remained shut and no sound came from him.

Dylan felt himself move towards the bed and pulled off the bed sheets slowly, with tears streaming from his eyes and down his cheeks. He did not understand what was happening and the other version of Gail, with her claw like nails and dripping wet appearance, was causing terror to flood over him.

Gail remained still as she watched Dylan climb onto the bed and thread the bed sheets through the overhead cell bars, then start making a noose. She felt a sudden need to stop this; however, Rosemary was strong and she was determined to protect her family. When she saw the tears streaming down Dylan's cheek she wanted to close her eyes, but she could not turn away from what ultimately was her doing. When Dylan placed the noose around his neck, she screamed as loud as she could to alert Adam and kept her control of Dylan.

Adam rushed into the holding cells and saw what Dylan was about to do. Gail was frozen in shock and shaking; therefore, he put his arm around her to comfort her, then turned his full attention to Dylan. 'You don't wanna do this man, I'll keep the case and we'll get you a great defence...It's not worth goin' out like this' he pleaded, hoping for Dylan to see reason.

Lucas rushed in with Luke when Gail's scream pierced through his ears, then stared at the scene before him bemused. He handed Luke to Ben and signalled for him to get his son out of here, then turned his attention towards Gail who was frozen on the spot with Adam's arms around her. He sensed Rosemary was out of her cage, then suddenly realised what was happening and spotted Gail's control of the situation was wavering. He did not understand why she was doing this publicly; however, he understood that something had threatened his love, to convince her to fully release her darkness in this setting.

Gail felt Dylan fighting Rosemary's control and suddenly felt faint. Adam tightened his grip on her waist to keep her upright and saw something change in Dylan's eyes that indicated he was starting to reach him.

Lucas did not appreciate any man touching his wife, least of all one who was interfering with his plans for Mayor and instinctively took a step forward to go to his love; however, he sensed her power weaken, causing him to return his focus to Dylan and he released his twin to intervene. 'Come on Dylan, this ain't how this is gonna go so just take that thing off your neck and get down' Lucas ordered, playing the part required of him.

Gail sensed Lucas' twin take over from Rosemary, then released her hold of Dylan and blacked out as Lucas' words travelled to her ears. When she came back around, she heard the sound of bone snapping and opened her eyes to see that Dylan had hanged himself in front of them all.

Gail turned to her husband confused and wanting to go to him; however, Lucas just shook his head dismissively and signalled for Adam to get her out of there, while he dealt with this mess. Gail watched him as she was dragged out of the room and felt her darkness subside, leaving her feeling empty and alone.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Merlyn sat with Gail at the Sheriff's Station, while they waited for her official statement to be taken. She had been out for dinner with Matt when he was called to the Sheriff's Station urgently and she did not know what had transpired; however, she had sensed her cousin's distress as soon as she got here and had not left her side.

Gail had sat silently for the hour Merlyn had been here and it was causing her concern. Merlyn hugged her cousin reassuringly and wrapped the large blanket that Ben had provided around her, knowing something terrible had happened and wanting to assist in any way that she could.

Adam approached the two women and knelt down beside Gail's chair, he felt responsible for what she had been through and could not believe he had gotten her involved in this matter. 'This is my fault, I should've realised he was unhinged with the accusation he was makin' and I'm so sorry.' he whispered apologetically and placed a soft hand on Gail's knee.

'What accusation?' Lucas asked dominantly, as he came up behind Adam and watched him suspiciously. His Station was beginning to fill up with people who had heard whispers of a commotion and he was not impressed at having to clean up this mess because of the man's need to involve his wife in their business.

'Does it really matter now?' Merlyn snapped, sensing Gail was ready to break at any moment and wanting to drag her away from this circus, before she lost control publicly.

Lucas inhaled deeply in exasperation and signalled for Adam to head to his office, disregarding Merlyn's defensiveness. Before he followed Adam, he knelt down in front of Gail and stroked her cheek reassuringly, sensing her control fading like Merlyn had. 'I got this, don't worry about a thing' he whispered, then placed a soft kiss on her forehead and headed for his office.

'This is just a mess' Merlyn stated, knowing Gail was listening even though she was not acknowledging anybody. 'What are we even still doin' here?'

'I'm a lead witness in a tragedy and you're trying to cover a story' Gail sighed in disbelief at what had occurred and held Luke's gaze as he stared at her concerned from Ben's arms.

'I ain't coverin' anythin' like this!' Merlyn exclaimed in a shocked tone and regarded her cousin with horror.

'God forbid you actually try to better yourself and use your connections to your benefit' Gail snapped, unintentionally aiming her anger at her cousin.

'Well this just works out perfectly for another member of your family doesn't it? This is beginning to become a pattern' Christie interrupted the pair and she sat down beside her friend, then pulled out a tape recorder.

Gail closed her eyes when Christie placed herself down beside her and let out an exasperated breath. 'What's that supposed to mean?' she asked irritated, unimpressed at her attempting to insert herself into something that she did not understand.

'Oh you know, the usual' Christie shrugged, then moved in closer and regarded Gail calmly 'Something big happens and your cousin is right here with you getting the inside scoop to outshine me...It's nice to know where your loyalties lie'

Gail felt herself tense at the accusation in Christie's tone, then sat up straight and shrugged off the blanket that she was wrapped in. 'Don't ever confuse me with a victim you can bully into making a scared comment. What's happening now? You run out of ways to get my husband so you're directing your suspicions at my cousin?' she asked, unable to hide her anger.

'Your cousin who wasn't around when I first visited you in Trinity and appeared out a thin air a year later? It wouldn't be so wrong for a person to be suspicious over something like that' Christie smiled, trying to goad Gail into fully losing control of her anger.

Gail was about to say something that she would regret; however, she regained composure quickly and laughed at Christie's failed attempt to outsmart her. 'Nice try, this is my story and I dare you to challenge me' she goaded, inserting her dominance. 'I'll give my statement to the Sheriff regarding what transpired here when only I was in the room with the suspect. He's fully aware of what happened when he and half a dozen of his men first entered the cell after hearing my scream, so you might want to attempt to interview the other witness before you inevitably try to pin this on my husband'

Christie had hoped that Lucas was involved here and could not hide her disappointment to hear otherwise. 'I thought you were giving this one to your cousin?' Christie asked confused, not realising Gail was still actively reporting due to her inactivity of late.

'Just because I attempt to drive some fight out of the girl doesn't mean I'd actually give up this gem' Gail let out a small laugh and shook her head at her friends stupidity.

Christie laughed at her utter misjudgement of the matter and put her tape recorder away, then placed her arms around Gail and gave her an affectionate hug. 'You alright girl? You look white as a sheet' she asked, genuinely concerned for her friend.

'I'm fine now that the meddling Reporter has disappeared and my friend has returned' Gail smiled warmly, knowing how it was to be the professional first before allowing personal feelings to take over. This was the relationship they had always had and she knew Christie cared, no matter how hard she hid it at times.

Christie let out a long sigh at the comment and rubbed Gail's back gently, her sources had told her something bad had gone down here and it was hard to keep face when her best friend was clearly distressed. 'You wanna share what happened off the record? It might make you feel better' Christie advised and stroked Gail's arm.

'Absolutely not' Lucas interrupted before Gail could answer, 'I'm ready for your statement now Mrs Buck'

Gail regarded him with irritation at the interruption, just wanting to be left alone with her friend to have a normal conversation for once and felt herself become anxious.

'I'll go check on Luke, to make sure he's not worried about his mother' Christie reassured Gail as she got up from her seated position, then shot Lucas a suspicious glance when she passed him.

Lucas shot an irritated glance at Christie over his shoulder, then disregarded his feelings towards her and signalled for Gail to follow him. When they entered his office, Gail walked past him and headed straight for his desk. She sat down on his chair and leaned back, then placed one of his handkerchiefs over her face and let out a long breath.

Lucas closed the door to give them some privacy and stared at her concerned for a moment, then went to her instinctively and perched on the desk in front of her. 'Why didn't you tell me he accused you of sleepin' with him?' he asked, attempting to hide his anger at her withholding something that important from him.

'You mean the all mighty Lucas Buck didn't know?' she said bitterly talking through the handkerchief, then sighed and closed her eyes in an attempt to block out the situation she had found herself in. 'Because he was just doing it to bribe me into getting you to let him go and you would've gone in guns blazing, then killed the guy in some random way that Christie would've had a field day with'

'Isn't that what you just did?' he asked, amused at her belief that she handled the situation differently than he would have.

Gail pulled the handkerchief off of her face, leaned forward and regarded him seriously. 'I didn't go in there intending to kill him, I thought his stupidity could be reasoned with' she explained honestly, hating what she had become.

Lucas caught sight of how pale she was and cupped her face in his hand reassuringly, sensing her self loathing. 'You did good and I admit that this way has left less questions unanswered than mine would have, but why are you losing control of your urges now?' he asked, concerned with the lack of emotion that she was displaying.

'Isn't this how you want me to be?' she asked knowingly.

'I want you with me and our boys, I don't want you takin' on things that could cause you harm' Lucas advised and stroked her cheek gently.

'Like killing a man?' Gail asked calmly and shook her head at his overprotective nature. 'He couldn't actually harm me and this way the Goat Town murder disappears, along with a serial rapist' she shrugged, becoming slightly concerned herself that she did not feel anything when the words came out of her mouth.

Lucas admired her ability to find the positives in such a messed up situation. Her behaviour of late may be off; however, her loyalty to him was unwavering and her unusual behaviour excited him. Lucas knelt down in front of her, then ran his fingers up her skirt and picked her up, wanting to be entangled with her.

Gail sensed his desire instantly and wrapped her legs around his waist obediently. 'I've said it before and I'll say it again...damaged' she whispered, then nipped at his lips teasingly as he ripped off her panties and thrust his hard manhood inside of her.

Lucas let out a loud moan when he entered and stayed still for a moment, savouring the feeling of her closing in around him. He did not care that the Station was filling up with Reporters as the news spread quickly around Town, he was just happy to be with her and at that moment in time, he was oblivious to all other outside influences.

Gail smiled as his guard remained down and she read his thoughts, she tangled her hands in his hair and kissed him passionately as he began moving in and out of gently. She tugged at his shirt and laughed when he bit her neck hard, she was passed caring about what marks people may come across and when his movements quickened, she welcomed his rough behaviour as it tapped into something deep within her.

Lucas thrust in and out of her harder, sensing her desires and placed his hand over her mouth to stifle her calls. He felt their climax building steadily and was not ready to give in to their release just yet; however, he felt her soft hands close around his neck and it increased the intense pleasure he was feeling. 'Careful love, you'll have people talkin' if they see what you do to me behind closed doors' he teased when her grip on his neck tightened and could not hide his admiration of her.

Gail gave in to the wave of pleasure that came over her, then felt something else take control. She squeezed his neck harder not able to stop herself, then her guard dropped completely and allowed her full darkness to flow through her freely. She had not experienced the full extent of her dark self, she had always managed to hold on to some control; however, something within her had changed and the undiluted darkness that flowed through her veins felt divine.

Lucas felt her grip tighten again and it started to restrict his breath. He looked into her eyes and saw something dark behind them, then sensed that she had relinquished all control of her darkness and regarded her curiously. He would be lying if he said that this side of her did not intrigue and excite him, he had only ever experienced a limited amount of her darkness and her complete release of control turned him on even more than usual.

Lucas crushed her further into the wall and pounded in and out of her, struggling to catch his breath. His climax came violently and he exploded within her, then watched satisfied as she bit her lip to stifle her calls on her release. When she rested her head back on the wall and took in a long breath, he expected her to regain control of herself; however, her grip around his neck did not loosen and he felt himself become agitated.

Gail saw the change in him when he realised she was not finished with him and smiled devilishly. 'Trouble breathing Master Buck?' she asked in a voice unlike her own and willed all of her darkness' strength to her hands.

Lucas felt his windpipe closing as her grip began to crush it and fought to pull her hands free of his neck; however, she appeared to be too strong. Lucas pulled her back and placed her on his desk, in an attempt to try talk to her, but his words would not come out and he was left gasping for air. When it was evident that she had no desire to stop this behaviour, Lucas released his twin and it engulfed her darkness, causing her grip to be released and her features returned to normal.

Lucas inhaled deeply as he desperately sucked the air into his lungs, then stood up again and slammed her hard against the wall. He wrapped his hard around her neck and began to squeeze hard, wanting her to feel the pain that he had. 'What the hell is goin' on Gail?' he snapped angrily, concerned at her second attempt to kill him.

Gail stared at him blankly for a moment, then gave her head a gentle shake and grabbed his wrist confused. 'What are you doing Lucas? Get off me!' she ordered, then let out a sigh of relief when he released his grip around her neck, pulled out of her and threw her a handkerchief to clean herself up with.

Lucas watched her carefully for a moment, then ran his hand through his hair in exasperation when he realised that she appeared to have no memory of what she had just done. She was watching him as though he had tried to hurt her and the wounded look that she was giving him was making him more angry.

Gail sensed his thoughts as his guard was not fully up yet and regarded him concerned. 'What did I do?' she asked confused, still holding her neck protectively.

Lucas approached her slowly, then took her hand and ran it over the red marks she had left on his neck. 'Twice now Gail...I thought we were over our rough patch, but it appears you still wanna hurt me' he advised and watched her reaction closely.

Gail examined the marks on his neck and shook her head in disbelief, she did not recall any desire to hurt him recently and she certainly did not remember marking his neck in such a way. 'I don't feel myself' she admitted confused and backed up towards the door slowly.

When an unexpected knock came on the door, Gail jumped then began shaking uncontrollably. Lucas ran his fingers through his hair in frustration when he heard Christie's voice and let out a long sigh. 'Go to her, she's clearly more important than workin' this out...I can't deal with you both right now, I don't even wanna look at you' he said hurtfully, unable to hide his disappointment at her actions.

The words struck her hard, as though he had slapped her across the face and she stared at him wounded, before obeying his wishes and leaving the office.

Lucas cursed himself when he caught sight of how upset she was before she left and slammed his fist down hard on the desk, in anger at the situation.

* * *

Gail sat in the Antique Store with Abe and smiled as he counted up the cash in the register. It appeared that business had been good due to the move and she was happy that he was acting more like his old self.

'You look tired Rosie, you need me to make you a coffee or take Luke for a spell?' Abe offered, clearly concerned over her gaunt appearance.

Gail forced a reassuring smile and shook her head, then looked down at Luke lovingly and cuddled him closer to her chest. Regardless of how tragic her life appeared to be at times, at least she had done something right in bringing him into the world. Luke was her rock and the one thing that kept her truly stable, he was her whole world, she had never known true devotion until him and she thanked God that she had him with her.

'Mmo...mmmo' Luke started and pointed at his mother happily.

Gail shook her head knowingly and laughed, then stroked his cheek tenderly. They had discreetly celebrated his first birthday not long after the announcement for Mayor and Rita had accused Luke of being behind with his development, as he had not spoken his first word yet. 'I don't think you're behind' she told him lovingly, as she caressed his hand 'I just think you don't want to offend either of us'

'Dada' Luke said clearly and smiled up at her, then continued 'Momo...'

'Smart boy' Lucas said proudly, 'How long have you known?'

'That our little boy is so in tuned with our emotions that he didn't want to say one before the other? It was just a hunch' she shrugged, then passed Luke to Lucas and began pacing the store anxiously.

'I'm not mad at you, you know that right?' Lucas advised, after having time to calm down and regain his composure after the incident earlier.

Gail took in a deep breath and shook her head in disappointment at herself. 'If I'm not safe around you, I may not be safe around our children' she stated and felt herself becoming upset at that thought.

Lucas let out a long sigh, then signalled for Abe to leave when the man caught her comment and looked visibly concerned. The last thing he needed was to have to deal with Abe's concern as well as his love's. 'You're fine, I'm fine, there's just somethin' botherin' you that we don't understand yet' he reassured her and placed his hand on her shoulder protectively.

Gail shrugged off his hand and created more distance between them. Visions of her losing control with Selena's father, Christie, John and Dylan flooded her mind and she felt a darkness engulf her heart. She could not believe what she had allowed herself to become and for what, the love of this man? The thought made her laugh hysterically out loud and she could not regain her composure.

Lucas watched her cautiously and held Luke tighter to his chest. He would never even consider the thought of her hurting their child; however, he did not like her unbalanced behaviour and Luke's instinct was to go to his mother if he felt she was distressed.

Gail caught his look and her laughter became louder. 'You've corrupted me so much that it's finally taken affect and you have the nerve to look at me with caution? I hope you're happy with what you've created lover, it looks like you've finally gotten what you wanted' she accused him bitterly, then stormed out of the Antique Store and headed for the Wicca Store in the hopes of being left alone.

Lucas watched her leave and shook his head in disbelief at how she somehow managing to blame him for all of this. He let out a small laugh at how unhinged the women in his life were and bounced his son up and down, in an attempt to distract him from his mothers insanity. 'We know better than to follow any woman in that type of mood don't we?' he asked Luke sarcastically and went to find Abe, deciding to give her some space to discover what was causing her homicidal urges to resurface and wanted to stay far away from the firing line.

-The End-


End file.
